UPDATED/Labour Party billboards being put up by company which took the bulk of government lighting tenders and direct orders since March 2013

These photographs taken earlier today shows a cherry-picker belonging to Raymond Vella Co Ltd, and employees of the company, putting up the posters on the Labour Party’s electoral campaign billboards.

Raymond Vella & Co Ltd (RVC Ltd) which provides lighting and related services, has been given the bulk of government tenders and direct orders for lighting projects over the last four years. The company was set up in October 2012, just a few months before the general election which was set to bring Joseph Muscat to power, in what seems to have been a strategic move for this purpose.

Last December, the government paid the company €250,000 to light the Palace courtyard in Valletta.

In March last year, Raymond Vella & Co Ltd was paid €45,000 to light Villa Francia, where Mrs Muscat has established a second home and holds court.

In October 2015, the company was commissioned to light the façade of the Office of the Prime Minister, and did a disastrous job for which it was paid €300,000.

Ray Vella with his son Nigel